Ghost Hunt The Lost Anime Chapters
by Xiola-Nobody
Summary: This is the continuation of Ghost Hunt in anime. What happened after Naru got out of the hospital? He takes up another case of course! Rated for mild language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

After Naru got out of the hospital he took up another case. "Jeeze" I grumble to myself "He's all bussiness."

2 Days earlier

Naru finally got discharged from the hospital. Monk and Ayako were still there but John and Masako were gone. John because he had to conduct a minor exorsism elswhere and Masako had to film for her show.

"Lin" Naru says in his monotone voice "Do you have the equiptment ready?"

"What? Equiptment?" I ask surprised. He wasn't rally going to work right after he got out of the hospital was he?

"Yes, equiptment" he answers "The tools we have been using in out investigations."

Grrrrr! He makes me so mad!

"I KNOW what equiptment means! I ment you're going back to work this soon?" I retort back.

"Well you should have said so." He replies "Yes I'm taking this case, because Ms. Hara asked me to personaly look in on it."

Masako I sigh to myself. I should have known it was her. She could make Naru do anything, and all because she has some dirt on him.

"Well take it easy for a few days. The doctor recommended that." I say. Naru ignores me.

"Look at you guys, going on like a married couple!" Ayako says with a smirk on her face. "Wh-what?" I asy blushing. No way I think to myself, still blushing.

Now

Naru, Ayako, Lin, Monk, Yasu, and I walk toward a beautiful hour. John and Masako will join us tomorrow. The house was painted a ghostly pale shade of yellow. It had a small garden and a paved path from the side walk, winding through the minature garden, and to the house. What a pretty house I think to myself. Naru walks ahead of us and knocks on the door of the yellow house.

A middle aged woman opens the door and asks "May I help you?"

"Mrs. Oshobo? This is Shibuya Psychic Research. I believe that you have had ghost sightings in your house lately?" Naru says in his bussiness ton he always uses.

"Oh, yes. Come in please" Mrs Oshobo replies, hastily letting us in.

Is it true that you have heard children crying in your daughter, Yoshikos' bedroom and that you can hear some one pace up and down the floor at night in the hall way?" Naru questions Mrs. Oshobo.

Jeeze not even a full minute in this house and Naru is down to business. He's a real work-aholic.

"Y-yes. That's all true. Also, on some nights, we can hear a terrible shrieking sound that continues for a couple of minutes." Mrs. Oshobo quietly says.

"Thank you" Naru says "That is all the information we needed. Do you have a place where we can set up our equiptment?"

"You can use the living room or a guest room…" Mrs. Oshobo says while guesturing to a guest room.

The guest room will be fine" Naru responds, then orders us to bring in the equiptment and set up base.

"Great. Another perfectly good manicure gon the waste. I wish Naru would help us with some of the 'grunt' work." Ayako complains loudly to Yasu, Hosho(Monk), and I.

"Well the doctor did tell Naru to take it easy so…" Hosho trails off.

"Yeah, but has he ever helped us bring in the equiptment? I should think not!" Ayako shoots back to Monk

"Hey, hey guys, Naru will always be like tha. Bossy and narcasistic. Take that away from Naru and I wouldn't recognise him anymore. Plus I think we should actually start bringing the equiptment in, instead of arguing about it all day." Yasu says trying to calm Ayako down from her 'Naru rant'.

"I agree with Yasu. We should start bringing in the equiptment." I say stating my simple opinion. Yasu shoots me a look as if to say 'Thank you for agreeing with me, Mai.' After the equiptment was brought in and set up it was time to fall asleep. The boys slep in the room the equiptment was in and Ayako and I slept in the other guest room. I wonder what tomorrow will bring…

END DAY 1


	2. Chapter 2

DAY 2

The morning I woke up to had a warm, damp feeling to it. Not damp as in suffocating-save-me-jungle damp, but damp as in a-touch-of-humid-you-can-feel-on-your-skin damp. When I walk to base Naru, Monk and Yasu are already awake and working. Yasu is reading aloud from a thin packet.

"''It was later found that the children died of starvation" Oh, hi Mai." Yasu says smiling at me. "Hi" I yawn stretching my arms "It's too early to start working."

"No…It's almost noon, Mai." Monk says looking a little worried.

"What? Noon! It's that late? Why didn't any one wake me up?" I say, not believing that it was noon.

"We thought you were having on of those vision dream things, that's why we didn't wake you up." Yasu says scratching the back of his head "Did you have one?" he asks.

"No" I shake my head. Last night my sleep was dreamless.

"So your sleep was dreamless…?" Yasu says a smirk on his face giving away that he was up to something. Wait! Did I say that my sleep was dreamless? Was I thinking aloud?

"Are you sure you didn't dream about me?" yasu continues, clasping his hands at his sides while fluttering his eyes at me.

"Yeah, I'm sure, because if I dreamed of you It would become a nightmare" I say jokingly and Yasu clutches his heart in a mokingly way as if to say 'I'm hurt.'

"Ouch, Yasu" Monk says playfully "Shot down by Mai"

"Okey" Naru says standing up and slapping his hands down on the table with a loud BAM! that startled us all "Play time's over. We need to work."

Sheesh, we were just trying to lighten the mood. At that moment John and Masako walk in. Masako looks paler than usual.

"Ms. Hara" Naru says returning back to his normal weird, calm voice he always has "Are there spirits here?"

"Y-yes" Masako answers shaking a little "Five. Three children, two adults. Th-the children are inoccent souls. One of the adults had a bad intention and the other I cannot tell." Then Masako faints.

"Masako!" I yell going to her side. Yasu, Naru, Monk, John, and Lin join me. Ayako was inspecting the house.

"Someone bring a damp towl." Monk says. John gets up and brings a damp towl. As we wait for Masakko to wake up, Ayako walks in and says "This is clearly the work of an earthbound spirit. Whoa, what happened while I was gone?"

Monk tells Ayako about what Masako said and how she fainted.

"It's alright. I'm fine now." Masako says waking up from her faing.

"Masako, thank God you're alright." John says.

"There are spirits here correct?" Naru asks Masako.

"Yes." Masako responds to the obvious question.

"Okey, Mai, Monk go take the temperatures of each room, then report back." Naru commands. Why does he he have to act so bossy all the time? I wish he were more like Dream Naru…

"Hey Mai" Monk says taking me out of my small daydream.

"Yeah?" I ask him.

"Are you sure that you haven't had any of your vision dreams yet?" Monk askas with a quizzical look to his face.

"Yup" I nod "I'm sure."

"Alright." Monk nods too.

We enter the room and record the temperature. It's normal. We exit that room then enter another and record the temperature. Monk and I repeat the process another time in silence. Then Monk says "Mai, I think we've got a follower." I turn around quickly and catch a glance of a head before the head ducks behind the wall.

"Come on out." I say in a quiet soothing voice "We don't bite"

"Well," I hear Monk mutter under his breath "I sure don't, but I'm not so sure about Mai."

"I heard that!" I say playfully and slap his arm. "I don not!" At this the head comes back in veiw and steps out from the wall. It's a girl.

"H-hi" She says "I'm Yoshiko."

"Hi Yoshiko. I'm Hosho and this is Mai" Monk says with a smile, instantly putting Yoshiko under his 'Little Kid Charm' "How old are you?"

"I'm ten" Yoshiko says giving us a toothy grin while holding out ten fingers. I couldn't help but smile too. She's so cute.

"Do you want to come with us and take the temerature in the rooms?" Monk asks her.

"Okey." Yoshiko smiles and gives a small quick nod. After we recorded all the temperatures of the rooms we went back to base. Yoshiko was still with us, and entered the room.

"Is this Yoshiko?" Naru demand-asks.

"Uh-hu" Yoshiko says smiling.

"Can I ask you a couple of questions?" he asks.

"Yes." Yoshiko answers.

"You can hear children crying at night in your room and sometimes someone walks up and down the hall way right?" Naru asks in a voice that almost seemed…kind? So he can be nice!

"Yes, and whenever it happens it gets cold, really cold. And I get scared." Yoshiko says.

"Thank you for answering. That's alol I needed." Naru says the kindness in his voice disappearing. Then Mrs. Oshobo calls Yoshiko away.

"I say we call it a day." Monk says. Naru, John, and Yasu nod in agreement. When will the ghosts start to show themselves?

END DAY 2


	3. Chapter 3

DAY 3

I woke up with a start. There was a dream that I had, a dream that I couldn't quite grasp. It was about… a family, a 'picture perfect family.' But something in that dream woke me up. u face was scrunched up. I was trying to think of what else happened in the dream that could've woken me up.

"What's with the face Mai?" Ayako asks peering me in the face.

GIYAHHH! I flinch away from her. When did she get so close?

"I'm just thinking…" I start to say but Ayako interrupts me saying "Don't hurt yourself thinking." with a grin.

"C'mon guys. Let's go to base," Masako says in her quiet soft voice "before the boys start work without us."

LIAR! She just wants to get there early to see Naru longer!

"Ooookey" I drawl out. "I'm gonna go to the kitchen and get myself a glass of water, then I'll join you guys."

Ayako nods in acknowledgment, but Masako ignores me. Somehow she always finds a way to make me mad. On my way to the kitchen I find Yoshiko also on her way there too. We walk in silence on the long way to the kitchen.

"Yoshiko, where is your dad?" I ask curiously. I hadn't seen Mr. Oshobo around when we started the investigation.

"He's on a big business trip." Yoshiko answers while she waits for me to drink my water. Ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk. I hear Yoshiko gasp and drop her glass cup, letting I shatter on the floor. I immediately stop drinking my water and push Yoshiko be hind me instinctivle. Protectively. Nothing is there.

"What was that?" I question Yoshiko whom is still behind me.

"It, it was The Footsteps." Yoshiko says in a voice that is barely above a whisper. She is shaking and her face as gone white. She must really fear this. Ka-Thunk. Ka-Thunk. Ka-Thunk. There it is again. The noise. It sounds like someone pacing with steel-toe work boots on. KA-THUNK KA-THUNK KA-THUNK! The sound seems to be getting closer. Immediately after I hear the steps getting closer I push Yoshiko a bit farther behind me, tell her that it's going to be okey and I put my hands in the way Monk told me to. Then I start to recite the chant of the Immoveable One.

"Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan. Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan. NAUMAKU SAN MANDA BAZARADAN KAN!" I shout out and the sound of pacing stops. Naru runs in and shouts

"Mai! Are you alright?" Oh. My. Gosh. He actually looks worried. Is that even possible?

"Y-yeah" I say, half going into shock of coming in contact with the ghost, and the other half keeping its wits.

"The temperature in this room dropped rapidly and the speakers were picking up static and some sounds. Are you sure you're alright? You look a little pale." Naru says, still looking a little worried (if that's even possible) but it was disappearing fast. I nod unable to form words. Yoshiko was still behind me, looking very close to fainting. Does this happen every time the ghost appears I wonder to myself. I hold onto Yoshikos' hand as if to reassure her that everything is okey. We walk out of the room, when I notice that my hand is bleeding with tiny little cuts. I guess that when Yoshiko dropped her cup, shards of the broken glass jumped up and cut me. Unless the ghost… NO! I shake my head to rid myself of those thoughts. I can't let myself think that way even if it is true.

END DAY 3 PART 1

**A/N:** I sincerly apologize for a shortish chapter today, but my sister has been taking me everywhere since summer vacation started. This chapter would have been longer but my nephew,Adrian, got his hands on the other part of this chapter, ripped it up, and thus having me to make it into parts. Now...to give you readers something to think about 'till next chapter. Which came first: The chicken or the egg? Think about it. It will come up next chapter :)


	4. Chapter 4

DAY 3 PART 2

Yoshiko, Naru, an I got to base safely with no disruptions natural or otherwise. Once we got there, Ayako made a make shift bed for Yoshiko to lay down on. She was still pale and shaking.

"The, ghost…it's…it's never gotten this close or this loud. This is the first time it's done this." Yoshiko says with silent tears streaming down her face. She said it so quietly it was as if the wind had softly rustled the trees. Ayako pats her back softly and soothingly.

"Mai!" John says looking alarmed, "Your hand! It's bleeding!"

Oh yeah, I remember now. It was bleeding because of the glass cup that, I want to believe this I really do, Yoshiko dropped. I had forgotten. Monk runs up to me and asks "Are you alright?" I don't answer. Lines start to blur. I hear a group of voices calling out my name in an odd chant.

"Mai. Mai. Mai. Mai. Mai." The voices say in a worried tone. Colors fuse together. Faces come in and out of focus. Peosple are standing around me in a circle. Monk is standing to the left of Ayako. Lin behind Naru. I sway on my feet, almost collapsing to the floor, but not quite. Naru…Naru…Naru.

"Mai! Are you alright?" A voice calls out. It sounds like Naru. You know what? I don't think I am. That's the last thought I think. Suddenly I feel my body go limp and my vision go the black/white color it goes to when one faints. I wasn't conscious long enough to feel my body hit the floor, but I'm almost possitive that I had an ungraceful fall.

******************************************************************************I open my eyes and I'm standing in Mr. and Mrs. Oshobos' living room. Funny. I don't remember waking up and going to the living room. I scope out the house. Wait a second…the decorations in this house are different! I snap my head to the right and sure enough, he's there. Naru. Not real Naru, but Dream Naru. So… this means that I'm having a vision dream.

There's a woman with beautiful wavey hair that reaches to the middle of her back. Three children, two boys one girl, are around her. There also is a man, with hair cropped short sitting on a reclining chair with his head in his hands. He looks…sad. Defeated, even. I walk over to the coffee table and I see a newspaper that looks as if it has been thrown down hastily. The front page cover title of the newspaper is **"UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SKYROCKETS; MILLIONS LOSE JOB"**

"Is, is that what happened to him?" I ask Dream Naru. He gives me a small sad smile and says

"Wait and watch."

So I wait. The man gets up and walks to a room. The woman nudges the children to their room and calls after the man.

"W-wait, Ruu. Can we jus-"

"No, Nakei. There's nothing to talk about. I lost my job and I can't support my family. I, I need time alone." Ruu says to Nakei. Nakeis' hand, that was reaching to comfort Ruu, recoils back at those words. Her hand goes to cover her mouth and her eyes are filled with tears. She obviously feels hurt. Then time passes. I don't know how I know, but I do. Now Nakei is sitting in the chair Ruu was sitting in before. She also has her head in her hands. One of her children comes up to her, taps her shoulder, and gives her a flower. When she lifts up hear head it is clearly seen that she has been crying. She gives a sad smile and tells the child to go to her room. Somehow I get the feeling that something bad happened to Ruu. I walk up to the coffee table and again there is a newspaper on there, open to the obituaries. I gasp as I find a picture of Ruu and his name in there. It says that he hanged himself. I turn my head around fast enough to see Nakei lock a door from the outside. A tear slides down her cheek and she says softly "I'm sorry." She walks over to a drawer, opens it, and pulls out a rope with a noose already tied to it.

"NO!" I yell. If she does that then what will happen to her children? I try to run and stop her, but Dream Naru grabs my wrist and tells me "Let time course through. Wait and watch."

"But I'm tired of waiting and I don't want to watch anymore!" I say with a chocked sob. Dream Naru shakes his head sadly and points. I look. Time passes. Hours. Days. Weeks even. And I hear the children cry. I hear them cry for their dead mother. I hear them cry for hunger. Then I hear silence. Deathly silence. I let tears slide down my cheek.

"How" I say in a whisper "How can that woman call herself a mother."

Dream Naru looks at me with that sad look again and says "It's time for you to go back." His voice fades on the last word and everything goes black for a minute.

******************************************************************************I stir,

"She's moving!"

"Is she awake?"

"Maybe…"

Disembodied voices float around. Voices that I recognize but couldn't name. I crack open an eye and I get a very unwelcome surprise. Yasu is about an inch away from my face.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" I shout, sitting up in bed too fast and knocking heads with Yasu.

"Ooooow. Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Yasu says rubbing his forehead, while the room is spinning. At least to my eyes it is. I drop back down to the bed, while rubbing my poor, poor, sore forehead.

"At least she reacted properly." Monk says trying hard not to laugh at Yasu and my expressions, "Did you have a vision dream? You were knocked out for half an hour or so."

"Yeah… in fact I did." I says slowly. Then I tell them about the dream.

"Yasu," Naru says "Do you still have that packet you read to Monk and I on the first day?"

"Hmmmm…" Yasu thinks for a moment, " I suppose I do." He goes out of the room, then comes back a couple minutes later holding a thin-ish packet. "What do ya need it for?"

"Do you think you could read it again. Out loud. For Ms. Hara, Ayako, John and Mai?"

"Sure yasu says "Here goes nothing. " Double Suicide Murder Anniversery. Today, a year ago, was the day that Mrs. Nakei Takinyak hung herself leaving three children behind. A few days prior to this incident Mr. Ruu Takinyak, Mrs. Takinyaks' husband, also killed himself. Three days after Mrs. Takinyak commited this horrendous act, her children died. It was later found that the children died of starvation" …and that's all folks."

"That's horrible! How could that woman call herself a mother?" Masako says, outraged. It's even worse, I think to myself, when you have to hear the children cry.

"Ayako, can you make some charms? Ten of them to be exact." Naru says.

"Sure," Ayako responds "I'll start making them. But… what do you need them for?"

"Some thing tells me that we will need them. The ghosts… they haven't shown themselves that much. Are they saving energy for something? Something doesn't seem right…" Naru says, looking off, thinking hard about something.

An hour later everything was back to being more or less normal. Ayako was talking to Monk, Naru was reading something, Lin was typing away on his laptop, Masako was sitting down staring off to space, and John and Yasu were arguing about something.

"Chicken!" John shouts out.

"Egg!" Yasu says in the same manner John said it.

"Chicken!"

"I said Egg!"

"It is Chicken!"

"No…Egg!"

"Chicken"

"Egg, Egg, Egg, Egg, Egg!"

"Chicken, Chicken, Chicken!"

"Ummm…what are you guys arguing about?" I ask standing in the middle of their battle field.

"We're debating on whether the chicken or the egg came first. Of course it's the egg." Yasu says.

"No, it's the chicken. Because what would warm up the egg enough to make it hatch?" John says defending his chicken. By now almost everyone had taken an intrest in the argument. Even Lin.

"Egg. Because where did the chicken come from, hmmm?" Yasu says defending his egg.

"It's the chicken." John, Masako, and Lin say at the same time.

"Egg." Yasu, Ayako, and Monk say together.

"Chicken"

"Egg"

"Chicken"

"Egg"

"What do you think it is Naru? Chicken or egg?" Ayako asks.

Naru puts down the book he was reading and slowly stands up " Neither. The chicken and the egg just evolved from something else, as all life did."

Everyone stares at Naru, possibly thinking the same thing, 'Charles Darwin'. Leave it to Naru to make it sound so analytical and scientific. Hmmm… it evolved from something else? I'm not on team chicken or team egg… I'm on team evolve.

END DAY 3


	5. Chapter 5

DAY 4

I wake up to the uncomfortable sensation of being poked.

"Uhng!" I roll over to my other side, still groggy from sleep. I hope the poker will go away and let me sleep.

"Poke…Poke…Poke…"

Great. Not only the poker won't go away, but now that person has even started making the ever so annoying 'poke' sound. I grab a pillow and begin to attack my poker.

"Leave." Smack. "Me." Smack. "Alone!" Smack, smack, smack.

"Ahh! I'm sorry Mai! Monk…he told me you wouldn't…and it was for 500 Yen and I couldn't resist, because I thought you wouldn't wa-but you did and, and now I owe Monk…"

"Yasu?" I crack open an eye "Slow down and start at the beginning."

"You see, Monk bet me 500 Yen that if I tried poking you awake you wouldn't wake up, but you did and now I owe Monk 500 Yen…but I won't pay because I think he set me up…" Yasu rambles on and on and on. "Are you mad at me?" He asks a couple minutes later after telling me the 'whole story' which I didn't listen to.

"No, I'm not mad. Why would I be? Anyways it was time for me to wake up…where are the others?" I say, sitting up, then yawning.

"Well that's a huge relief. The others are at base already. We caught some interesting footage…"

At that I was fully awake.

"What kind of footage?"

"It's…er…well you know…umm… you have to see it for yourself?" Yasu responds, shrugging his shoulders and giving an apologetic smile to not being to able to tell me what kind of footage it was. After getting changed, doing my hair, and taking care of personal needs, all which took 15 minutes, I went to base. Everyone was crowded around the security camera T.V. thingamajiger looking at something. Naru points at something on the screen and Lin nods.

"Whatcha looking at?" I ask with a small yawn at the end.

"C'me over here and see for yourself, Mai." Monk says scooting over to make room for me. I walk over and stand behind Naru, as he re-winds the tape then starts it again. It's the camera that's set up in the kitchen. Nothing is happening. Time lapses, as Naru skips over that. Then he slows down. A couple of minutes pass by and still nothing. The grandfather clock in that room chimes eleven times. What am I supposed to be watching anyway? A table, some chairs, a refrigerator, a stove…a broom? A broom! That wasn't there before was it? I don't think it was…. Crtch. Crtch. Crtch. What the…? The sound is coming from the small monitor screen but I can't find where on the picture. Then I see the chair that moved in the kitchen. OhmyGod, its still moving! It stops moving. Something square/rectangle appears on the table. It doesn't have height, its just flat. A newspaper! That's what it is. I can blurrily see two words on the newspaper.

"Un." Un? Is that even a word? I squint my eyes more trying to make out the rest of the word. "Unemployment" Is the first word. The second one is "Rates." And a part of the third word, I couldn't read the rest, says "Skyroc." I've seen those words before. The words from the newspaper from my vision dream. But what is that newspaper doing here? Or was it just an apparition?

BANG! The sound brings my attention back to the screen.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Cupboards and drawers open and slam shut repeatedly. How could anyone sleep through a racket like that? The grandfather clock reaches 11:29 and everything becomes silent. Then with a blink of the eye the newspaper disappears, the broom is gone, and the chair is tucked under the table like it was before. Naru ends the video there.

"How did we sleep through that?" I think outloud.

"We didn't. You, however, did." Naru says in his monotone voice.

What? I knew I was a heavy sleeper, but not that heavy! I remember that my mom used to say that I could sleep through a stampede of elephants and a horde of men with guns that are trigger happy. …I miss my mom so much…

"Mai. Hellooooo, Mai are you in there, or have you perfected the art of sleeping with your eyes open?" Yasu asks waving a hand in front of my face.

AAHHHHHH! Too close! I reel back.

"Good you're not sleeping. Did you see Naru walk out?"

"What! Naru walked out?" I asked dismayed that Naru once again had walked out during a Case. I was sort of expecting it but I had hoped that he wouldn't walk out.

"Yeah, he did. He made a big show of it too. He left muttering something about having the Case finished, and took Lin with him to who-knows-where. He also told us to not exorcise the ghosts, but I don't see any other way to get rid of them." Yasu says scratching the back of his head thoughtfully.

'Made a big show of it.' That's typical Naru. Can't enter a building without making a grand entrance and can't leave without making a big deal out of it.

"I still say we should go with the exorcism. I we don't the ghost or ghosts might get more violent that last night." Monk says going into 'leader mode'. "Who agrees?"

Everyone mutters an agreement seeing no other possible way to get out.

"Alright, who wants to go first?"

Ayako and John look at each other.

"Well I can't do it. There's no good trees around here." Ayako gives her alibi.

"Guess I'm up." John gives a small defeated smile.

An hour or two later, after John is ready to go, we got ready for the exorcism.

"Ready John?" Monk asks.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He responds.

We leave John in the kitchen and go to the safety of base.

"Wait, Monk, where is Yoshiko and Mrs. Oshobo?" I ask worried for their safety.

"Already taken care of." Monk tells me looking smug "They're visiting family. They'll be out for two days, until further notice."

I nod my head in acknowledgment and turn my attention to the small screen. John has already started the exorcism.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word it was God…"

"Ayako give me the temperature reading for the kitchen." Monk says not taking his eyes off the screen.

"What am I now? Official Temperature Checker?" Ayako grumbles to no one in particular. "It's 15 Celsius and dropping."

"Damn. And dropping…It was 20 when I checked." Monk mutters.

"All things were made by the Word…"

"Temperature?"

"5 Celsius."

"…turn up the volume. I think I hear something."

"On it." Ayako sighs.

"…and the world knew not the Word…" John continues. I hear something else. White noise in the background. I strain my ears then I hear it. It's faint but I hear it. The shouts of children crying for their mother. The shouts for their father. The shouts for the pain of hunger to end. Nakeis' children. The children she left locked in the room. I feel pain in my heart hearing them. The children never left the house, their spirits still remain. I try to tell Monk something but I'm choked up. The children deserved better then to die the horrid way they die. They deserved to live their lives to the fullest. Then a red splotch appears in the background. A red splotch surrounded by a dark, evil, purple. Is it Ruu? Or Nakei? The Splotch moves near a chair and seemingly pushes it. It moves rapidly toward John.

"John!" I yell at the screen having a mini panic attack for my friend. John expertly dodges the chair and keeps going on with his exorcism. My worry drops but only a little. The purple-red Splotch is dangerous. If it could move that chair with so much force, who knows what else it could try to do. Three white spirits now appear. It's the children I think. John gets his Holy Water out and starts sprinkling it around the room. The droplets hit the white spirits and one by one they disappear. Cleansed. Exorcised. Purified. Call it whatever but now they are in a better place. Three more souls in a better place. As the drops of Holy Water hit the Splotch, it only burns brighter. Angrier. It moves closer to John. I get a feeling that something will go terribly wrong once the Splotch touches John. I get out of my seat and sprint to the kitchen.

"Mai! Don't! It's dangerous!" I hear Monk and Yasu yell behind me.

"I ignore them and keep running. I reach the kitchen, yank open the door and tackle John to the ground. As I tackle him I feel something go cold in my body. Pain, anger, hurt, hopelessness, and loss course through my body, In the brief moment I come in contact with the Splotch I experienced loss, hatred, helplessness and death. Then with the same force it pushed the chair, I am pushed harshly to the wall. My head collides onto the wall and for the second time this week I lose conscious.

.

.

.

Where are you Naru? We need you…

END DAY 4

**A/N;** Sorry for the wait ^-^;; This chapter gave me loads of trouble. First I had a huge writers block. Then about 3/4 's way finished with this chapter I go back to see on my planning sheet if I am on track and none of what I wrote on the planning sheet was written. So much for that… This MIGHT be the last chapter for a while. I'm going to go visit family members in Mexico for a month or probably more. I won't be able to update while over there but that doesn't mean I won't stop writing! I possibly won't be able to update next week either because I will be packing. Wish me luck and before you know it I'll be back!


	6. Chapter 6

DAY 5

My head hurts. Throb Throb Throb. Where am I? Throb Throb Throb. What happened? Throb Throb Throb. Who am I? Throb Throb. Why does my head hurt? Throb. I don't want to open my eyes. Throb. Pieces of memory flit around and bit by bit I start to remember.

Throb. I WANT to remember. Throb. My head hurts because… I hit something very hard with it. I hit a … wall. I was thrown into a wall. By something I could not see. My name is Mai. Mai Taniyama. I work at Shibuya Psychic Research along with Naru, Yasu, Lin, Masako, Monk, Ayako, and John. I think I was protecting one of them when a force made me hit a wall.

"Nghh." My head hurts. I don't want to open my eyes.

"Open your eyesssss"

I snap open my eyes at the unfamiliar voice, and I look for the body of the voice, but my body won't respond to my brains actions.

Greeeeeaaat. I'm stuck in a room with a spirit, that I have no idea whatsoever if it is friendly or not and my body doesn't want to respond to my brain. A couple of seconds later my body finally catches up to my brain and I slowly sit up and take in my surroundings. A rubber plant is all that stands tall. There was evidence that someone once had been sitting next to me. The newspaper, glass of water, and magazine show that. I wait a few more minutes before I attempt to walk, because if my body didn't want to sit up when my brain told it to, then walking could take a while. To pass the time I started looking at everything and I start to notice things I have never noticed before. Like the little electric radio that was on top of the closet and the little statue girl dressed in a kimono with her sun umbrella ready to take a walk that sits on top of the dresser. I stretch out my feet and I just know that I'm ready to walk. I stand up and test out my legs. My left leg is asleep and starting to get pinpricks of pain that goes up and down my leg. I start limping hastily toward the door, wondering where every one went.

Snick.

My back tenses up as I hear a sound behind me that only makes me hobble faster, letting me reach the door quicker. I open it and slam it shut as fast as my pinpricked leg would let me, hoping that the spirit would stay behind and not follow me. Silence is all that is heard. No one up the hallway no one down it either. Where is everyone? I check every room, avoiding the one I came from, in search of my missing friends. No one was in sight. Maybe I'm having another vision dream? But everything looks the same. There goes that hypothesis…

Clack

I tense up again and I start to limp as fast as I can to the door that leads to out side the house. I'm not going to stay, here in this house, all alone while something is on the loose! Yeah, sure, outside might be the same but at least there's wild life and sounds to distract me unlike the silent house where everything can be heard. I sit on the yellow painted steps that go into the yellow house. I sigh and put my head in my hands. Why did my friends abandon me? Did they already leave and are in Naru's office drinking tea while chatting casually? Not having a worry about where Mai was? Did they already solve this case and forgot about me here? Or did they "accidentally" leave me here?

"Why me?" I question out loud.

Suddenly I hear a car arrive and stop near the sidewalk. It's the SPR van! They came back for me! I was so relieved that the hadn't left me that I ran out and hugged the first person that got off the vehicle. That person just happened to be Yasu.

"You guys didn't leave me here!" I shout happily in Yasus' arms.

"Whoa, Mai, glad to see you, too." He says.

I step away from him and I see that he is lightly blushing, and that Naru is looking away in a somewhat angry manner. What is up with them?

"Why would we leave you?" Monk asks, getting off from the van.

"Oh, I don't know, I think that fact might have something to do with leaving an unconscious person that might have a concussion in a haunted house all alone by their lonesome." I reply sarcastically. "Besides, where did you guys go?"

"Never mind that! Concussion?! Mai, we have to get you to a hospital as soon as we can!" Ayako exclaims.

"H-hospital?" The color drains from my face. I have Nosocomephobia which is the fear of hospitals. "Me? Go? To a HOSPITAL? N-no! Please! I'm fine really, I am."

"Are you alright? You just got really pale all of the sudden." Ayako says.

"I will be as long as you don't take me to a hospital! I have Nosocomephobia, which is the fear of hospitals." I explain, still pale.

"But you went to a hospital when Naru was hurt!" She argues.

"That's different. I can go if I'm not the one being hospitalized…"

"But we have to get that concus-" Ayako is cut off by Naru.

""Haunted house"?! What do you mean by that?"

"Well, someone told me to open my eyes when I was unconscious, and I looked around and nobody was there, and I also heard unexplained noises too…"

"What?! How is that possible! When you were unconscious Naru came back and fixed our exorcism mistake! We were out celebrating our "successful" exorcism when you woke up. There should be no ghosts left." Monk says confounded.

They solved a Case without me?! How unfair even if the "solved Case" was a fail! I MUST get the details of what happened when I was knocked out from Ayako.

"Damn! I made a mistake again!" Naru curses.

I stare at him, shocked. I had never heard Naru cuss before.

"If there still are ghosts in there I say that we should see what we're dealing with BEFORE it gets dark out." Yasu suggests.

Everyone murmurs an agreement and we begin to walk into the pale yellow house.

Pleas let nothing bad befall us…

END PART 1

A/N: I'm such a lazy person! I got back from Mexico yet I have not posted this chapter until three weeks later! T.T But then again I'm on work-overload. I just started high school and turns out it's not as forgiving as middle school is. Then I'm working on some five different fanfics, one manga, keeping my newly made deviantART updated as much as I can, and my sisters pregnancy. A shred of wisdom for those out there: Never and I mean NEVER argue with a pregnant woman…she will win the argument even though it is clearly visible that you are right and she wrong.

Loving the reviews :3 they give writers this warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside that inspires them to write…


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: ****I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT**

DAY 5 PART 2

"If there still are ghosts in there I say that we should see what we're dealing with BEFORE it gets dark out." Yasu suggests.

Everyone murmurs an agreement and we begin to walk into the pale yellow house.

Please let nothing bad befall us…

As I enter the house, a cold chill hits me. The ghosts are still here. At least some of them are. I can feel them. I don't know how, but their presence is in the house. It's a bit scary walking around knowing that little bit of information.

Nothing about the house seems warped or distorted…it just seems normal. But is smells different. Sorta weird. Not right.

"Mai, where did you see the ghosts?" Naru demands.

"Umm… in the guest room where Ayako, Masako, and I stayed in, and the hallway in front of that room…" What is that smell…I've smelled it before. In biology, it's where I've smelled it. Damn, why couldn't I have paid more attention to that class! That smell…we were lighting up a burner with… matches. MATCHES! That's what it is! Its sulfuric acid! Really strong in smell, too. The smell is coming in the direction of the kitchen. I start drifting towards the kitchen distractedly.

"Where are you going, Mai?" a worried Naru asks.

Funny, Naru is never worried…he's always calm and collected.

The smell is getting stronger as I approach the kitchen. That worries me, so I break into a run. Straight to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?!"

I yank open the door to the kitchen and…

Nothing is there.

No blazing fire, no burning stove, no drapes going up in flames.

But how? How did I smell the sulfur? Was it just a ghost of a smell? Did I actually smell it? Or was it a "vision smell"? Something that has yet to happen.

"MAI!" I hear Naru yell behind me.

I look sharply to my left and I see the cupboards burst into flame. Splinters of the heated wood fly straight for my face.

"AAAAAAIIIIIIIIII!"

I duck to the floor, covering my face with my arms, my eyes shut tight as a extremely hot piece of wood impales its self on my arm. Something shields me from most of the hurt.

Monk runs in carrying a fire extinguisher with him as Ayako and Yasu help him put out the fire.

"Naru!" Lin runs over to where Naru and I are.

Naru shielded me…he jumped up in front of me to protect me…

"Ngggh" I hear Naru groan in pain.

"My God, Naru! You're hurt really bad! Someone call an ambulance!" John exclaims, looking at Naru's back.

"Let me see…" I get up from my crouch and try to make my way to see how hurt Naru is.

"Lin! Nggya. Don't let Mai see!" Naru doubles over a bit in pain. "And don't call an ambulance…I'm fine."

I try to get past Lin to see Naru.

"Lin, please let me through." I try asking him in the most polite tone that I could muster in the situation.

"No. Ayako take her to the guest room."

"O-okay." Ayako nods, just a bit pale. She grabs me by the arm and drags me away, though I'm still trying to fight my way to see how Naru is.

At the guest room, Ayako leaves me by the bed and locks the door. I sit on the bed.

"Why didn't you guys let me see him?" I huff in annoyance.

"No, Mai, you don't understand…it-it was really bad. His back was hurt really bad. I'm a child of two doctor/surgeons and what I saw with Naru mad me pale. He really needs to go to a hospital, but if he says no then I'll trust him to know his limits and just treat him myself." She says as she starts treating my wound that happened during the kitchen fire.

A few minutes pass in silence.

"Well, since we're going to be in here for a bit, will you tell me what happened while I was passed out?"

"Sure, but it's going to be a pretty long story."

"I can handle it."

"Good. After you hit the wall and were knocked out John had Monk come in and carry you out. John kept on going in his exorcism. The ghosts weren't very happy about that and they started moving chairs and the table. They even threw a chair at John. He dodged it very expertly, might I add. The ghosts tantrum died down a little after John finished. Just as a precaution Monk went in and exorcised it also."

It had been about an hour after we thought we had finished the spirits off for good and John, Monk, and I were just about ready to go out and celebrate, when you woke up of course, when Naru comes in, yelling at us that we were stupid doo-doo heads for not following his orders. Then Naru and Lin go off lecturing us on how to exorcise some spirits you have to know their religions and beliefs so you can let them pass on with their religion."

He finally notices that you're not there with the group and he asks where you are at and we just say that you were knocked unconscious by the spirit. At that he gets all overprotective and angry that we didn't take better care of you. I have no idea what his problem was…but anyways he came back and Lin supposedly exorcised all the ghosts out of the house. I guess Naru must have miscalculated something or something like that because the ghosts aren't gone yet. And you are now updated up until right now."

"That was long" I say my head spinning from all the intake of information that I had just received. Ayako finished bandaging my arm.

"Told you so." Ayako responds.

The door opens and Lin pokes his head in. "Ayako, we need you to treat Naru."

Ayako nods and leaves.

Minutes turn into hours as I hear muffled groans and moans come from outside the room I was confined to. Please let Naru be alright…

At last Monk opens the door to my room and lets me out.

"Is…is he alright?" I ask, scared for a negative answer.

"He will be. He just took some of that splintered wood on his back and that's it. And besides it would take a lot more than wood to slow Naru down."

"That's good" I sigh in relief. "Did Lin get rid of the spirits?"

"Yeah…it was some weird type of religion that the Takinyaks were into."

"Oh, but what happens if the person who dies is atheist? Then what would happen to them?" I ask truly curious.

"Nothing happens. They don't believe in heaven nor hell. They don't believe in afterlives so they just disappear off of the radar. They don't become spirits or anything, they just fall into oblivion."

"What a sad way to die…" I think out loud.

And with that another case was closed. The Oshobo's were grateful that we had gotten their house rid of all the spirits, and Yoshiko was just glad that she didn't have to hear anymore scary noises in her room anymore. Naru still refused to go back to the hospital to have his back checked, so he's being wheeled around for some days to not hurt his back.

In the end I think everybody was happy.

**A/N: A case closed :') makes me smile just to look back on this. Don't think that this series is over yet! I have two more cases to go and some fillers to go in between. I'm deeply sorry if I offended anyone with the religions thing but I didn't know any other religion to stick in there and so I thought of atheism. What would happen after they're gone? So I decided to put that there.**

**I am so very sorry for the late posts but I might have to make this go on hiatus, because basketball season is coming around and I won't have much time to type anything out. In fact I don't have time to type at all right now, I'm dealing with a lot. My dad got a job sorta far away from the town I live in, high school is hard, I'm close to failing English 9, and I'm in my first ever relationship o.O. **

**I'll find time to type, though the updates may be very infrequent and odd at times.**


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: ****I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT! …or American Ninja Warriors. **

The Case was finished, the mystery solved. I had gone back to school for a couple of days and heard nothing from SPR. I guess that they haven't needed me. I just hope that they haven't started any Cases without me. Everything was going normal. It was just a normal Saturday. I was eating ice-cream from the bucket , and watching American Ninja Warriors. It was almost the last episode of the season. All of the contestants were ready to face Mt. Midoriama.

One guy was almost finishing the ridiculously hard obstacle course when someone knocks on the door to my small apartment that the school pays for. I get up grumbling that someone dared to disturb my binge with ice-cream and American Ninja Warrior. I leave my ice-cream at the table and I continue to opening my door, not bothering to look through the peep hole to see who it was first.

I yank open the door and the most unexpected person is standing on the other side.

"Yasu!" I say surprised. " Come on in. What brings you here?"

"Nothing much…I just got a little bored over where I live so I decided to bother someone. Nice place you live in."

"It's not that nice…plus it's pretty messy, which reminds me I have to clean." I grab my tub of ice-cream and proceed to eating it. "Want some ice-cream?"

"Errr, no thanks."

"You suuuure? Its Butterfinger, and its reeeeaaally good." I smile waving a spoon full of my delicious ice-cream in front of his face.

He eyes it hungrily. Haha gotcha.

"Well…when you put it that way…"

"Good. I'll go grab you a bowl. Have a seat."

"…okay…."

"I just have one question," I say from the tiny kitchen. "How do you know where I live? I mean, I don't think that I've ever told anyone where I live so…"

"Oh, yeah…did I ever tell you that I have transferred to your school?"

"YOU WHAT!? That's great! When did you transfer out?" I grin widely.

"Just a couple of days ago…I decided that that would be the best, because my school had too many hauntings, and that would look bad for résumés if the job I would take would do a background check."

"Oh, well it's a smart move then."

"Yeah…about that…I don't have a place to stay, and I found a couple of your friends when I was getting the tour of the school and I asked them where you lived. And now here I am. So…do you have a place for me? I understand if you don't want me to stay, since I'm a boy and you're a girl…"

"No, no! Its fine really! You can stay. It'll be like having a sleepover! Except that you're a guy, so I can't do your makeup or do your hair, but it'll be just like one." I smile loving the thought of having a sleepover. I haven't had a sleepover in a couple of months, since my job at SPR took up most of my time. Which also reminds me that I haven't really hung out with Keiko and Michiru, my friends, either…I have to put that on my agenda.

"Thank you, Mai, thank you so much! I really needed a place to crash right now, because the hotel that I'm staying at is eating out all of my money. I promise to pay you rent and I'll only stay until I find an apartment or another place to stay at." he vows.

"You don't have to pay me rent. And my school can help you financially. They're really understanding about money. And if you're orphaned, the school can pay for most of the apartment costs, help you get food, and lets you get out of school whenever you have to work." I say cheerfully say.

"Oh God I love your school. Too bad I'm not orphaned…my mom decided to stay at the other place because she has to work and her job won't give her a transfer."

"What does she work in?"

"She's a repair mechanic for a computer company. Computers break daily and she's the one that fixes them."

"Wow. That's an amazing job. It sounds really hard to do."

"Yeah it looks hard. She comes home exhausted every day, so I usually cook for both of us. Hey why don't I cook while I stay here? That way you don't have to do everything." Yasu smiles cheaply, changing the subject very quickly. That's a bit suspicious.

"Okay. That sounds like a fair deal. I usually burn, overcook, undercook, or mess up my food someway." I had never been one to be a big fan of cooking. My meals usually came out ruined in some way, poisoned or not.

Yasu laughs at that, "Hahaha! And I thought that women were the master cooks!"

"Not so true for me." I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck a bit.

"Hmmm…it seems right about dinner time, can I take an inventory on your refrigerator? I need to know what I have to work with before I start cooking."

"Sure, go ahead, though I doubt you'll find anything of use to you in there. I usually get take-out or go to a fast food place for food since my cooking is so bad."

Yasu gets up off of the couch and walks to my tiny kitchen. He opens the fridge door and slams it back closed almost immediately after opening it.

"Looks like we have to take a trip to the grocery store!"

An hour and a half later we got back from the store, 1192 Yen lighter, ten bags, and loads of fresh food, ready to be prepared into something delicious.

"Chopping knife." Yasu asks like a surgeon getting ready for an important surgery as he starts preparing the food.

I hand him the chopping knife.

"Carrot."

I hand him the carrot. He chops it up into well sliced pieces and drops it into a pot filled with water.

Just then the phone starts ringing.

"Hold on, I have to get this." I say to him, as I run into a frantic search for my phone.

I finally find it under some couch cushions, and I answer it.

"Hello?" I ask. "What? Right now? Where is it? Can't I just go tomorrow? Why not. Please? I have to get my bags ready first and their not ready. No I can't do it now, I have a guest. Who? Yasu, he's staying over at my apartment until he can find his own. No I don't find it dishonoring. No. No. Please can I just go tomorrow? Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeease? Yes? Thank you thank you thank you soooo very much! What?! No Yasu would never do that! Are you mad? No? I think you are. Okay, okay then, your not mad. Sheesh. Okay then. Bye."

I turn off the phone and turn to Yasu excitedly. "We just got hired onto a new Case!"

"Really? That's great! Do you know where?"

"Yeah, apparently its in a forest and in the middle of the forest it a mansion."

"Very vague details…"

"I guess so…"

END

**A/N: **This just popped up in my mind three minutes ago. Its not a really big part in the story, in fact, it's a filler. I just couldn't think of anything to write. Right now I'm going through some tough times. My dad moved, I lost a very good friend due to my boyfriend and I'm very mad at him for that, and today is a very sad day for me. Today is the day that my oldest sister day was born. It is also the day that her twin died. She should've been the one that survived…not me…

Anyways, I'm thinking of setting up a Cookie Corner. It's a place where I put down all of the reviewers names in a list, and they get Cookies. What do you readers think of that?

Reviews are **WELCOME! Don't worry I don't bite…well maybe a little :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: ****I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT! **

Chapter 9

A bored looking Naru dials someone's number.

"Hello?" A perky voice answers.

"Hello, Mai. A new Case has come and we need of your assistance. The place is in the middle of a forest. There is a huge mansion in the middle of this forest. Its really hard to miss."

"What? Right Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Can't I just go tomorrow?"

"No."

"Why not."

"Because your assistance is needed now."

" Please? I have to get my bags ready first and their not ready."

Naru fights the urge to call Mai a ninny for not having bags ready to go. "Can't you just do that now?"

"No I can't do it now, I have a guest."

"A guest? At this time of day? Who is it?"

"Who? Yasu, he's staying over at my apartment until he can find his own."

Now Naru fights the urge to be mad and annoyed at Yasu staying over. He is staying. In. Mai's. House. He just has to find a way to make me angry, he thinks. No he's not jealous…well maybe just a little. But very little. "Don't you find that a bit imprudent and dishonoring?"

"No I don't find it dishonoring."

"Not even in the least sense?"

"No."

"Fine then. Just come down here today."

"No. Please can I just go tomorrow?"

"No. We need your assistance right now."

"Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeease?"

Naru feels a twitch start to begin right above his eye. Best give her, her own way. "Alright."

"Yes? Thank you, thank you, thank you soooo very much!"

"Just make sure that Yasuhara doesn't do anything that you don't want him to do or anything that involves carnal."

"What?! No Yasu would never do that!"

"I'm only looking out for your safety!" Naru feels a headache coming on. Mai is so gullible. She's like a newborn baby that has to be watched over by overprotective parents, or him, which is the same thing.

"Are you mad?" She asks worriedly.

"…no…"

"No?"

"No."

"I think you are."

"I'm NOT mad!"

"Okay, okay then, your not mad. Sheesh."

"Just…be sure to come here safely tomorrow. And bring Yasu with you. We might need him too."

"Okay then. Bye." And with that last sentence Naru clicks his cell phone off, not bothering to say 'Bye' back.

Naru's headache continued to grow worse as he merely thought of what Yasu and Mai could be doing right now, or might do, later.

"Lin, distract me."

.*..**…***

I hum merrily as I begin to pack my bags. I'm so excited for a new Case! It had been boring these last few weeks without going ghost hunting everyday. Life just seemed so dull without this little job as assistant to distract me. Yasu didn't have to pack. His clothes were already in a suitcase. And seeing as he was my only ride to the Forest Mansion, he had to wait for me to pack.

"Are you doooone yet?" He groans from the living room. He had been waiting for me for a little over two hours.

"No…I have to pack some more clothes, get my hair care products from the bathroom, and grab some personal stuff, then I'll be more-or-less ready." I answer.

"WHAT?! I thought that that was what you were doing in the past three hours!"

"Its only been two, and I was making an inventory list of what I'm taking so I don't forget it there." I say remembering my favorite purple socks that I left behind in our third Case and my keychain that my mother had given me, burned in the Bloodstained Labyrinth Case.

"Uuuuugh! Is there anyway that you can hurry up? I'm really anxious to see what we're up against in this Case."

"I'll try hurrying up, but I can't guarantee anything."

"Just try please! I have a short attention span."

I start packing faster, almost shoveling clothes into my suitcase. Since when did I get so many clothes? Most of them I remember last seeing in sixth and eighth grade. I have to clean out my closet since most of the clothes don't fit me anymore. I'll probably have to go shopping once I get to the Forest Mansion. I just hope that there is a mall close by. If there isn't one near by then I'm in big fashion disaster trouble.

#^-*#

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"How 'bout now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"What about now?"

"No."

"Now? Now? Now?"

"No. No. No."

"Ahhhh! How much longer?"

"Much more longer. Even longer if you keep talking." Yasu sighs as he drives. I don't like riding in cars for long periods of time.

"I need sooooomething to distract me!" I groan. I need it. Or I will pester Yasu for fun until we reach the forest mansion.

"Play I Spy."

"But with who? I can't play with you, 'cause you're driving."

"Good point. Then lets play Three Questions."

"Oooooh! How do you play that?" I've never played any game like that before!

"I ask you three questions, and you have to answer them honestly, every single time. Then you do the same for me. You up to the challenge?"

"Yes I am!" I gladly accept the challenge he has presented to me.

"Okay then. You go first, or do you want me to go first?"

"Ummm.. You please?"

"Okay. What's your favorite color?"

"Dark blue."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Koalas!"

"What's your favorite type of music?"

"Umm… I'm not sure what kind of music On/Off sing, but that type of music."

"Okay. My three up. Your turn."

Hundreds of miles, and questions, later we're almost arriving at the Forest Mansion. The questions were getting more personal and more risqué.

"How many people have you dated?" Yasu asks.

"Umm…this one jerk-of-a-guy and this really sweet guy that had to move and that's it. What about you?"

"Somewhere around three. Choose one: Hugs or kisses?"

"Hugs. I'm a very huggy type of person."

"Nice. Have you had your first kiss yet?"

I blush. I hadn't gotten my first kiss yet, though many people, including my friends, had already gotten theirs. "N-no. Have you?"

He seems just as flustered as me, even a bit more, if that's possible. "Well…er, I- so I- Hey look! We're at the mansion!"

And true enough, we were here. The mansion stood up for its name, and so much more. It was a hulking mass, protruding from the trees. The place itself was beautiful in a forbidden wonderful awe-inspiring way, but mix that in with the mansion, and it was something else all together! It stood in pride and galore, as if it owned the large forest, and not the owners of it. The mansion looked pretty old and rustic, yet magical and majestic.

Yasu drives the car into the driveway that seems to be filled with other cars. The owners of the house must have become desperate and had to call in different ghost hunters. I wonder how this case will be like. Naru didn't even brief me in on it. I hope it's a long one, one that will take me away from school, so I can be exempt from all the school work. But that's not the only reason I want it to be long…I want to see Naru longer, too. Though I wouldn't admit that to anyone.

Yasu gets out of his car, walks over to the other side of the car, and opens my door, like a perfect gentlemen.

"Thank you." I say gratefully.

"The pleasure was mine." He says adding a little bow to the end of his sentence.

I smile at him. He was acting like the knight in shining armor. I wonder why he's acting like that. We both walk silently towards the direction of the mansion. Suddenly Monk pokes his head out of the two double doors of the mansion. Just as quickly as he poked his head out, his head disappears. Probably off to warn the others of Yasu and my arrival. I begin to walk toward the gigantic mansion. This wasn't as big as the one from the Blood Stained Labyrinth case though. It was a bit small compared to regular mansion standards but by my tiny apartment standards this was as big as big could get. Multiple windows overlooked the gardens and, not surprisingly, a hedge maze. Why do creepy places have to have creepy hedge mazes? Everything was majestic about this place. It looked like it just popped out of a children's fairy tale pop-up book. Like something ripped off a fairy tale.

Along the trip Yasu had been telling me facts about this mansion. He had researched it before we went to sleep the day before.

This mansion had been owned first by some wealthy ranchers, that had struck oil on their property. Oil that was still being mined. The owners had had two sons. One day the two owners had been found dead. The cause was still unknown. The next day the neighbors of the ranch had heard gun shots in the others lot. They quickly go over to where they had heard the shots, and had found both sons dead. Many think that they died because they did a shout out, but it has never been proven. From there the mansion, along with the plot of land, got sold, and bought, which then got sold and bought many times over until landing into Mr. and Mrs. Miyoshi. They bought this mansion with the thought of starting a family, both by adopting and not adopting. The disregarded the previous owners warning that something was not right with that house of any of the land that came with it. Now they wish they had listened to them.

I walk through the doors and I am instantly covered in a shiver, though it is not cold inside. Something just isn't right with this place…

I walk around aimlessly uneasily until I see Ayako. Then I run and give Ayako a big hug. She returns the offer.

"It's been a while since I last saw you, Mai." Ayako says.

"Too long, I say." I grin. I then proceed to greet everyone there. Monk, John, Lin, and Naru. Masako isn't here.

"Where's Masako?" Yasu asks.

"Why? Do you miss her already?" Naru retorts, apparently not in a good mood.

"No…I don't need anyone else while Mai's around."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Naru growls.

"Exactly what it sounds like."

Naru growls some more. What is up with these two? I'm so confused about what they're talking about.

Naru then proceeds to ignore Yasu for the time being.

"Mai, do you know about this Case?" Naru asks me.

I shake my head.

"Typical." I glare at Naru for that comment, "This is now the Miyoshis' house. Apparently people have been getting murdered since the unfortunate incident with the first owners turning up dead, then a few days later, their sons. Since then there have been mysterious deaths, followed by the owners selling the house right after saying that its cursed and having a death occur with family or visitors. Two days ago another death occurred and the Miyoshi family contracted many ghost hunters and scientists to conduct research on this house. Does that answer any of your questions?"

I nod a simple yes.

"Good. We need to work fast and efficiently. We don't need anymore murders then there are already."

"Umm.." A question had already formed in my mind at that moment, and a very good question, might I add. "Who exactly is murdering the people?"

"We don't know." Naru answers me curtly. Then he adds "It could be someone inside the family trying to scare the Miyoshis into selling the house or it could be the spirits believed to be here."

"Oh…" My mind is already working on high. If it were someone from inside the family that wanted the Miyoshi family to sell the house cheaply, so they could buy it for themselves, then it would be very difficult to pinpoint exactly who wanted the house. And if they wanted the house then why? Why did they want it for themselves when there were rumored ghosts around? Did they spread the rumors? If so then why? Why would they spread rumors of this house? Was there something of value from this that past owners hadn't figured out, but one of the Miyoshi relatives did? What was so valuable that someone had to murder for it? Questions keep swirling round and round my mind as I try to figure this case out.

"We have all the cameras already set up…" Monk explains why Yasu and I were here. "We also have all the temperature checkers in each room…so all is pretty much already done. We just need more people to monitor all the rooms, since this is such a large house."

"So technically we're just here to patrol?" Yasu questions.

"Pretty much. Masako isn't going to come. Right now she's in Mexico doing a series special and won't be back for a month or two."

"Where's John?" I wonder out loud.

"Yeah…we sorta lost him." Ayako says, a bit guiltily.

What?! How can you loose a person?! This mansion is ridiculous!

"What happened? How did you guys loose him?" I ask.

"He was on patrol duty, but he hasn't come back yet."

"How do you not know that the ghost or enemies of the Miyoshi family doesn't have him?!" Poor John! I feel sorry for him right now.

"Because he sent a text message to Naru saying that he is on to something and that he would try and find his way back to us as soon as he can."

"How long has he been gone?"

"Since yesterday afternoon."

"Did you send a search party for him?"

"No, he said not to."

"But John could be in danger!"

"I doubt it. He can fend for himself. And besides, if he finds a spirit he is better off than we would be because his exorcisms work better than most of ours…though mine is the most powerful." Ayako says with airs of a high and mighty renowned priestess…like she wishes she could be, and ends our conversation.

I snicker at my mean thought. Oh, I feel so evil and wicked for thinking such thoughts.

I proceed to walk over to where Ayako and my room is located at. It's a long walk from the entrance and, just as I had thought, the mansion was huge and anybody could easily get lost without a GPS on them. And even then they still have a possibility of not finding a way out.

As soon as I get to the room that I will be sharing with Ayako I drop off my two very heavy bags that are stuffed to the brim with things that I had deemed "necessary". …even if my 3DS isn't very necessary, I still need it to entertain me.

I flop onto the bed and let out a big sigh. There is just this feeling that I can't shake off that something bad will happen, is happening, or had happened. All of the sudden the door bursts open and Monk appears; he is hunched over and panting really heavily as if he had just run a marathon or two.

"What happened?!" I worriedly ask Monk. He is scaring me. He has never gone into Ayako and my room panicked like this before. Its scary.

"J-John! We've found him! Come, follow!" He pants and takes of running again.

I have little choice but to follow him. Monk must be running at his top speed because I only catch glimpses of him as we run through the ridiculously hard to remember winding paths that go by the names of halls and hallways. I have no idea how Monk remembers all the twists and turns that is leading us to John.

He stops at a fork and we catch our breath. I take slow deep breaths to attempt to calm my fast beating heart. I really have to start exercising. I'm very out of shape.

Monk straightens up again then looks at the left side of the fork then to the right side. He then begins to run to the left side of the fork. I chase him down as fast as I can but Monk is too fast for me to keep up with so I only see bits and pieces of him.

My mind unintentionally begins to wander and I don't notice that Monk has stopped running. Naturally I run into him…very hard. So hard that all the wind is knocked out of me and I fall.

"Uuuf!" I land ungracefully on my butt with an ugly thud.

Monk turns around and sticks out his hand to help me up. I grab it and help myself up.

"Thanks." I say gratefully.

"No problem. I'm sorry though for not warning you that I was about to stop. I should have warned you…"

"Oh, no, its fine! But why did we stop here?" I ask as Monk and I b begin to back track our steps back toward the fork.

"Well, you see, I have paused to correct a possible minor miscalculation that has caused us to slightly veer off location, you see, and-"

"So in other words we're lost, right?"

"No lost, just slightly off course."

"We're lost."

"Yeah, pretty much." Monk words his confession.

I sigh. "And now we'll never get out!"

"Not a problem!" Monk says taking out a handy dandy smart phone. "I've got this!"

I gawk at him. Since when does Monk have a cell phone?!

He taps in some numbers and put the phone up to his ear. "Hey. No I'm not lost- well okay. Fine. I am, but just a little. Yes I took all the turns I remember taking, but I ended up in a fork that6 I don't remember ever seeing. By the way, how is he? Not critical? That's a huge relief. Have the paramedics arrived? Yeah? Is he going to stay in the hospital long? Damn it. He's our only good exorcist. I know, I know… …so do we just wait here for you guys to show up okay we'll sit tight. Just don't take more than an hour. 'k. thanks." Monk ends his conversation and slips his smart phone back into its pocket.

Paramedics? Hospital? Only good exorcist? Who got hurt!

"Wh-what happened?"

"We found John. He was shot!"

"What! When, where, and how?!"

"…you forgot the most important question." Monk points out, "You forgot the 'who'."

"Well who too, then."

"That's the problem…we don't know 'who' exactly did it. John was making his way back to us when neighboring rooms heard gun shots and loud thud. There was one witness and she says that all she saw was a pair of floating gloves and a gun in the 'invisible' hands, then she fainted. The gloves had no body…"

No! Could it be… "Could it have been the…"

"Possibly. We're not sure yet."

"…So how bad is John hurt?"

"I dunno. All I know is what Naru told me, then he sent me off to find you. He's not going to die anytime soon for sure. The only place he got hit at was on his foot, so he might be on crutches for a while, but he'll be fine."

I sigh again and slump on the wall. I just got here and already this place is posing a challenge to SPR. I could only wonder how SPR was off before Yasu and I came…

My mind goes blank and I slip off into a dream. Its dark. Really dark. Slowly my vision comes into focus. Trees, the mansion, and two little boys merrily playing ball. That's when I notice that this isn't my ordinary getting to meet ON/OFF twin brothers Naoya Sakamoto and Kazuya Sakamoto as any fan girl would. No, this 'dream' has a realistic feel to it. Its one of my vision dreams.

A motherly figure walks up to the younger of the boys and hugs him closely for a few seconds before leaving in a horse-drawn carriage. She doesn't show any affection to the older boy.

The oldest looking boy takes the ball away from the younger boy and plays by himself in a corner. The younger boy goes off to the opposite corner and sits all alone.

"They must be brothers," I think out loud. I expected Dream Naru to answer me back, but I hear no response. Dream Naru is nowhere to be found. Suddenly, something dawns on me…Dream Naru isn't the one that prompted me to have this vision. Someone else with power equally or greater strength is making me have this vision. Someone wants me to know something from this.

I somehow "feel" that the younger boy feels responsible for his mother giving him all of the attention to him, not to his older brother, where it should be going to. The younger boy is weeping, and wiping off his tears with the back of his hand.

Then I hear an infantile voice say, "I'm sorry brother…I don't deserve mothers' love and care…you do…" then I'm back to reality.

END

**A/N: **Long time no write, huh? I apologize for the long two months or so wait. Life has just caught up to me. I have big aspirations, but not enough time. Currently I am busy with writing fan fiction, making a novel type story, basketball(yes, my long awaited basketball season has finally come, but I have met earths personal hell called basketball practice. It doesn't even leave me with enough energy to attempt to write! So all my writing is done during my high school freshman classes XD I'm still passing though. The practice is paying off since the lady freshman basketball team has gone undefeated ^-^), my odd love life, friends, Christmas, and playing Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. This story may go on hiatus on and off because of basketball season. I'll try to write in between practice and games!

Doesn't sound like much, but to a simple kid like me it overwhelms me. Lol.

**Please keep** reading this story, and tell me how to make it better. Good is better than satisfactory, but better beats both and best defeats all. O.o I just made a tongue twister! Lol.

Oh, and before I forget, I have a poll up on my profile asking who Mai should end up with. Please check my profile and vote ^-^ I want to know who the popular choice will be.

**Cookies for those that bother themselves to review. Thanks ^-^**

**Cookie Corner:**

AlphaWolf45

Heaven-water-sister

felicianoludwig

Fish-egirl

Guest

Fairybabe202

Evil-Kitty-Kat-666

JigokuTenshi834

**THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR REVIEWING! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! ^-^**


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!

Chapter 10

Then I hear an infantile voice say, "I'm sorry brother…I don't deserve mothers' love and care…you do…" then I'm back to reality.

But I'm not on the floor where I remember sitting. Instead I'm being jostled a bit. I open my eyes and I see that I am being carried by someone and that I am very high off the ground. That makes me flair my arms around before tightly grabbing onto my captors neck and holding on for dear life.

"Hey look, it seems that Sleeping Beauty has finally woken up. Seems like she didn't need a kiss to wake up, Naru." Ayako's voice says.

I lift up my head and I see that Yasu is caring me. Naru, walking behind us with Ayako and Monk, looks flustered at Ayakos' comment. Monk coughs to hide his chuckle.

"What…what happened?" I ask drowsily, "I remember falling asleep and having a…dream. A vision dream. But I don't know what it means. What I mean is that I don't get what this vision dream was trying to tell me. I always pick up what the dream wants to show or tell me but this time…I just didn't. Dream Naru is always in them too but this time he wasn't and I do-"

"What about me?" Naru demands.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuu…..dge! Shizplu! Ahhh! I feel a major blush spreading across my face. Idiot! Why did I just say that?! What should I say now? …something smart, that doesn't show that I'm smarting. Now think of something smart-alecky like.

"Don't worry," I start, "It wasn't you. Dream Naru looks like you, but, unlike you, he actually smiles and Dream Naru is a lot nicer and he doesn't act like you at all."

Naru stares at me a bit shocked, not sure if he should take it as an insult or a compliment.

"Hahahahaha, wow Mai, I never knew that you could be capable of being mean!" Yasu snickers.

"Oh, and at that, Yasu Dear, will you let me down. I'm quite capable of being mean and being able to walk at the same time."

At this Naru attempts to hide a snicker. I swear, they're always trying to one-up each other, which is so weird.

"…is John doing good?" Ayako says changing the subject.

"Yeah. He was awake a few minutes ago. We were texting each other a while ago. He says that he's doing good. He told me that the bullet barely missed an important organ by inches. They're going to operate on him later today to take the bullet out. Its still in him." Monk responds.

"Poor guy," Ayako sighs, "It must hurt to have that bullet still inside of him."

"Actually, he says that he can't feel anything. The doctors numbed his body so he can't feel anything."

"That's good at least." Ayako says, looking really worried.

"Yeah. So is there anything new that you've found about this case, Naru?"

"No. No one knows anything, or they do but they're not willing to share." Naru responds, opening the door to Base.

"But why would someone do that? Why wouldn't they want to help get the spirit out of the house and cleansed?" I ask.

"Because, in this case, it may not be a spirit doing this. There could be a real murderer out there. All options are open at this point."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a sec! John and other people have seen floating guns around so isn't that enough proof for whatever is doing this to be a spirit?"

"All of those who have seen the guns admit to smelling a sweet smell just before the guns appeared, including John. It could be some type of drug that the murderer is using to make everyone not be able to see him and hallucinate."

"But the same hallucination? I don't think so!"

"But what if seeing the murderer triggers the same hallucination?"

"Then wouldn't they have seen the murderer?"

"No, because whatever they smelled made them hallucinate and see floating guns!" Naru says gritting his teeth at Mais' thick headedness.

"But they would've because they see the murderers hands!"

Naru hadn't thought of that. "But that's just the hands, its not something that could help us in this Case! And this is only hypothetical."

"Don't you mean hypothalamic or hyperthermia?"

"No. Hypothalamic is a part of the brain and hyperthermia is high body temperatures."

"Are you sure? Because all these hypos- are all the same thing to me."

"And that's why you shouldn't skip school, idiot."

"Oh, so I shouldn't have come to this Case, and I should be in school instead? Okay, I'll just go pack my bags now."

"Grrr, I didn't mean it like that!"

"It sure sounded like you did!"

"Hey! Why don't you two stop arguing like an old married couple and maybe we could get somewhere in this case!" Monk says sounding frustrated.

"Then why don't you conduct your own Case?!" Naru says haughtily and embarrassed at being compared to a married couple with Mai.

"As a matter of fact I will if you're going to act that way!" Monk yells back.

"Fine! See what I care!" Naru yells angry at his authority being questioned.

"Fine! All those tired of being treated like this, come with me."

Ayako gets up and walks out with Monk. "You should consider getting your hands dirty and helping us 'grunts' once in a while if you want me back."

Yasu walks over with Monk and Ayako. "Stop treating us like expandable pawns and let us in your plans."

"Mai, want to join us?" Monk asks.

I look over to where Naru and Lin are. I just can't abandon them without real reason…they need me. Plus I feel like I owe Naru a debt since he landed me this cool job even though he pretty much just got me to get free labor since the cameras are insured…

I shake my head no. "I'm sorry…I can't. Besides you guys don't really need me. You're pretty well off already."

I smile, sad that our longtime group has been split up, siding with Naru and Lin.

"Thank you Mai, but if you want you may go with them if you choose." Naru says.

"Like I need permission from you! Do you want me here or not?" I say, not knowing where this dominant side is coming from, but liking it all the same.

"…"

"That's what I thought."

"Well, what's done is done. Those with me, lets find a new base." Monk says.

My heart breaks a little at seeing this group all split up. my body wants to go with Monk, but my mind wants me to stay with Naru. My mind wins and before i know it, Monk is already out of sight.

"Fools. they'll get nowhere with whith they're lack of equipment." Naru mutters under his breath.

His rude comment makes me feel furious.

"What the hell?! Your narcissistic self made them leave! I only stayed with you because I feel like I have a debt to own up to you! Don't you ever dare call them fools ever again if I'm within earshot!" I yell at Naru, tears forming at my eyes from stress, anger and all the change that is happening around me.

Naru stares at me dumbfounded. I run to my room enraged, slamming and locking the door, not that Naru or Lin would try to come in and cheer me up.

I lay in the dark of my shared room, contemplating all that has happened. That SPR group is broken…and I chose to stay with the breaker. That wasn't very smart. I should be with Monk, Ayako, and Yasu right now, but my stupid debt owing self held me back from that.

Grr! Naru makes me so mad. He even made me curse at him!

_But it was your fault_, someone in the room says.

"EEEE!" I shriek. Someone is in here?

_No, no one is in here._ The voice cackles.

What the…?

_Now where was I? Oh, yes. It was your fault. You could have fought your anger, but you chose to give in. Pathetic weakling. Can't even fight cussing out your boss. You make me sick, and I was a weakling also._

"Who, who are you?" I ask.

_No need to ask out loud, my dear, I am in your mind. I can hear everything you think. I can see everything you see, I smell everything you smell, I feel what you feel, and I know everything about you. Not creepy at all, huh?_

Why do you know everything about me?! And who are you?

_Well, the knowing part isn't a choice. I'm sorta…you. In a way. And I don't know who I am. Could've been someone, but now I'm your "conscious"._

Don't go all Jimmeny Cricket on me! And I've never heard you around in my head before. Ar you the one that gives me those vision dreams?

_Who's Jimmeny Cricket? You've never heard me around because I never bothered to communicate with you. I just got bored then began to talk to you. Naw, sweet cheeks, I'm not giving you those dreams. They're too much hassle to make._

So do you know who is giving me my vision dreams?

_I have an idea of who but I'm not going to tell you._

Grr. Nice person aren't you?

_Nicest you can find._

Chivalry is dead because of people like you.

_Oh, my lady, your words hurt me so!_

I get up and walk to my bed.

Shut up will you? I need to sleep

_As you wish, my lady._

I roll my eyes, as I adjust to my bed. I hope I can fall asleep easy.

_You will. _Answers Voice.

Shut up. I wasn't talking to you.

_Then to who were you talking to?_

…myself…

_Then you were talking to me, since I am you._

Just shut up.

_Okay-okay, I will, my lady._

And stop with the "my lady".

_Sure, killjoy._

My sleep is dreamless. A bit odd since a lot has changed and happened today.

**A/N:** Sorta short eh? I apologize for that…and any spelling mistakes in it. Haha. Oh gosh…well I just completed this chapter at the library DX not a good idea to procrastinate. Also, about the voice in Mais' head…well I just finished reading the last book to Maximum Ride (T.T) and well her voice in her head just sorta came to me, ya know?

So…dundundun! Is this voice friend or foe? Is it man or woman? Where did the voice come from? Will the voice ever go away? Is this questioning getting too long?

All will be explained in later chapters…hopefully.

**Cookies for those that bother themselves to review. Thanks ^-^**

**COOKIE CORNER:**

BlueberryEmo

JigokuTenshi834

Heaven-water-sister

animelove98nogfm


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER****: I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT! **

Chapter 11

I awake to soft knocking at my door. I wonder who it could be.

Why don't you get up and find out? Someone says.

I look around scared a bit.

God, its great to be remembered. Says that someone.

! Then I remember yesterday and all the drama that happened to make our once strong group disperse. And I remember Voice. And all of its annoyingness.

Oh, thanks, that really helps my non-existent self-esteem. And by the way, I really think that you should answer the door, because all the knocking is irritating me.

! I hade forgotten about the door!

I get up from the bed, feeling grimy since I had decided to not get into my pajamas, and open the door. To my surprise, emotionless Lin is standing at the door.

I open my mouth in surprise. I could see Naru stooping down low enough for him to attempt to apologize to me, but I can't see Lin doing anything to try to apologize. Maybe I shouldn't judge a book by its cover?

"Naru wants you. It's four and we've got work to do."

Or maybe he's here to give me orders to do what his narcissistic highness wants me to do.

"No. I am not going anywhere, until "his highness" gets his royal hide down here and apologizes!" I say in a bout of furriness that he would have the audacity to order me around after I could have walked away with Monk, but I didn't. I then slam the door.

"Oh, by the way, I'm not leaving this room until he apologizes."

I wasn't leaving this room until he personally came down here and apologized sincerely. Thought…I don't know what he really is going to apologize for, but I know that he has to apologize for something or other.

My stomach growls loudly and I already know that I wasn't going to last my "I'm not leaving this room" threat. The smell of baking pizza wafts into my room and I follow the scent, not caring where it is coming from, or who is making it.

I follow the smell to the window that faces the enormous forest. I pause there. Should I open the window and follow with my stomach to the smell that is making my tummy hurt so bad for food, or should I stay and be bored and hungry? Food wins, and I open the window and climb out. Good thing that we got the first floor.

Stupid! Why are you following this, this, scent, out into the forest? My angry self-appointed conscious Voice asks. There might be a rapist just waiting for someone to go look for that pizza so they can rape that person!

But its food. I argue back. And I don't want to stay in that room being bored for who knows how long. Besides, what kind of rapist makes pizza in the forest?

…

My Voice is silent as I continue to climb out the window. My nose leads me into the forest. I walk for what seems like ages, all the while I am imagining what this pizza is going to look like and how I am going enjoy savoring every flavor.

I faintly see Dream Naru out of the corner of my eye. He is shaking his head at me and saying 'No'. I look over to where he supposedly was, but there's nothing. I shrug it off and continue walking.

Then, with out warning, the smell disappears. And I am lost. In a forest. Far away from the mansion. And it is getting dark. I am, undoubtedly, scared out of my mind. Also, I am hungry. Very hungry. I want my pizza. Heck, I just want food. And to be out of this scary, gigantic, cold, dark forest.

Told you that you shouldn't have followed the smell. Says my Voice.

How would I have known that it would leave me in the middle of nowhere, hungry, and scared?

Instincts. Well, you would know none of that since your instincts seem to not be working at all.

…why do you always have to be with me, bothering me?

Why do you always have to get lost? It seems that we both have questions that we can't answer.

I lean against the biggest tree that I have ever seen, and slump to the ground. I am tired. All I want to do is sleep.

No! Don't sleep! You'll get hyperthermia, or tuberculoses! Then what will happen to me? I'll die off! I'm not ready to die even if I don't have a clue from my past! Keep with it kiddo! Up, awake, conscious, alert, roused, whatever! Just don't die and leave me here all alone! Do something, anything to keep yourself awake! Keep your mind busy and think about something!

Like what?

Anything! Just don't die on me! Hey, why don't you try and think for once? You might find answers to things that you didn't know before.

Good idea. Now what to think about…

Umm, I was thinking of something along the lines of all the Cases you've been in.

Great idea! Hmm…in our first Case it was the work of Kuroda's psychic abilities, and not what Naru had originally thought about the building caving into the ground. I felt so helpless back then. I didn't know a thing about psychics or spirits or anything. I was so gullible back then…I believed anything that Naru would say.

Our second Case scared me a little. Minnie was just plain out creepy. I never really liked dolls, and Minnie just gave me another reason to dislike them even more. That Case was my first encounter with a spirit. It also was my first vision dream. I just thought that that vision dream was nothing more of a coincidence. I thought nothing of it. It was meaningless. Until I started having more that kept becoming true.

Third Case I…

CRACK!

I startle. A branch nearby broke. This is one of those moments that I wish I could have someone with me. I'm scared. Its dark. I can't see anything. Only the deepest colour of ebony.

CRACK!

I flinch. I would really love to have a match right around now.

CRRAACK!

It sounds like someone stepping on twigs. Maybe it's a murderer come to get me! Or worse, the spirit that SPR has been looking for!

One last CRACK, extremely close to me, and I loose it. I scream bloody murder.

"AAAAYYYYYYYIIIIIIIIII!" I wave my arms wildly around in an attempt to land a blow on the murderer. Suddenly my hand comes in contact with something solid. That something groans in response.

"Owww…"

Instantly I recognize that voice.

"Yasu!" I shout, "What are you doing here?"

"Mai? Dang…you don't hit like a girl. You hit hard. I'm going to bruise now… I, truthfully have no idea. I was hungry and I had no better thing to do so I started walking outside. Then I smelled this wonderful smell that smelled like pizza and I just had to follow that scent. All of the sudden the smell just disappears, and something leads me to this place. I was just…I don't know how to describe it. I was just pulled to this place? That's as close as I can get to describing the force that brought me here."

"No way! That's how it was for me! I just sorta was attracted to this place, or something."

"Are you sure," Yasu says, "that you weren't just attracted to _me_?"

I laugh. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't. I got here before you!"

Yasu laughs also. "Then maybe I was attracted to you!"

I roll my eyes and inwardly groan. That has to be one of the worst pickup lines ever! A cold breeze passes by and I shiver. "Gosh its cold! I'm freezing!"

"Want me go give you my sweater?"

"No, because you'll be cold then."

"How 'bout we huddle then? That'll keep us both warm."

I think it over. Be cold or huddle and be warm. Another cool breeze passes me by and I shake more violently. "Lets huddle. I'm cold."

I hear Yasu shuffle over to where he believes I am. "Mai, hold out your arms so I can find you." He says.

I obey sticking my arms out. I feel hands grope my arms in the dark and I am quickly engulfed by warmth.

Time doesn't matter now. Hours could have passed and I wouldn't have noticed the difference. All that I could do right now is wait for day to come and slowly fall asleep to Yasu's heartbeat. It is so soothing, the rhythmic beating lulling me to sleep. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump.

Without warning, I hear some footsteps and muttering. I get scared and hold on to Yasu tighter than I already am holding onto. Who could it be? Could it be a search party? No… Could it be the ghost? The steps and muttering draw closer and closer to where Yasu and I are at. I quiver in his arms. Then I see the telltale yellow light of flashlights and lanterns, and my fear fades, because what kind of ghost would carry a flashlight?

A flashlight is shined on my face and I squint my eyes.

"OH MY GOD! I FOUND THEM!" Ayakos voice yells out.

The thundering of footsteps cluster to where we are.

I smile in the light of the flashlight. We have been found.

Voices can be heard, thanking God and other deities that we have been found safely and soundly.

I'm still in the arms of Yasu when Naru steps into the blinding light of the flashlights. An odd look passes over his face. But, in a brief moment, that look is gone and is replaced by gratitude.

"…we found you…" He says in a voice that appears to sound like a sigh. …but….Naru doesn't sigh…does he?

I wiggle my way out of Yasu's arms and run to Naru. I hug Naru as if I would never let go. Though it may seem odd, but out of everyone, I missed Naru the most. His bossy narcissistic ways…I had just missed them. I can't explain why but I did.

"Okay, okay, I know we're all excited and happy to see each other again, but please, no hugs. We have to get Mai and Yasu somewhere warm, where they can eat something, 'cause I know they must be starving," Monk says.

I resentfully remove myself from Narus warm arms and follow the rest of the group as they walk off to somewhere safe and warm. Somewhere where there is food.

**END**

**A/N: **HOLY MOTHER OF F #$ING SH!# THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO MAKE! I'M SO DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF! I wish I could have done this faster. I was flogged with homework and school and guess what? I had to plan a quincenera which sucks! The quincenera shouldn't have to plan her own quince! Ugh but I had to. From there I found a new band (BLACK VEIL BRIDES! 3 BVB ARMY!) got inspired by their guitarists (Jake and Jinxx) to pick up my old ugly strawberry (don't ask) guitar and start playing. From there I bought myself a good lefthanded electric guitar (^-^) pleged to become better than Jake (BVB), Zacky (A7X) and Noodles (The Offspring) and begun playing. I have no instructor or anything and my only friends in this are books on playing guitars. Then, as it supposedly is at the end of the year in high school, teachers begin to kill us teenagers with tons and tons of homework so we can be prepared for finals L and now I have no boyfriend, but we might give us another shot :S

Now, on track, expect these chapters to be cranked out faster. Summers coming, but I also have a guitar to keep and play, but nonetheless, expect these to get out there faster!

**Please keep** reading this story, and tell me how to make it better. Good is better than satisfactory, but better beats both and best defeats all.

**Cookies for those that bother themselves to review. Thanks ^-^**

**Cookie Corner:**

Evil-Kitty-Kat-666

MzShellSan

**THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR REVIEWING! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! ^-^**


End file.
